* Also in the above link: McConnell is emerging as the lead spokesman for the case that the Federal government's failure to stop the spill is proof that the Federal government can't be trusted to do anything, least of all energy reform.

"If you're going to advocate expansion of government it doesn't look very good when the government you're already in charge of doesn't function so well," he said. You'll be hearing more of this argument as the spill worsens.

And a happy Father's Day to all you pops out there. What else is happening?

"Though the Ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce later withdrew the apology he made to BP CEO Tony Hayward during a hearing Thursday, Emanuel made the case that Barton's remarks were no mistake. "That's not a political gaffe, those are prepared remarks. That is a philosophy. That is an approach to what they see. They see the aggrieved party here as BP, not the fishermen," Emanuel told me during my exclusive This Week interview.

Emanuel said Barton and Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul, who recently called the President's criticism of BP "un-American," are a reflection of the Republican Party's governing philosophy. "They think that the government's the problem," Emanuel said. "And I think what Joe Barton did was remind the American people, in case they forgot, how the Republicans would govern."

Benen goes on to say:

"Lately, it seems the word "gaffe" has been overly used, and expanded to mean anything embarrassing that someone says. But Emanuel's right -- when Barton delivered a groveling apology to the company responsible for the disaster in the Gulf, he didn't just misspeak or trip over his words. Barton was reading from his own remarks. "That's not a political gaffe."

But some in the media seem confused about this. David Broder's column this morning had a headline that read, "Barton's BP comments highlight GOP's propensity for gaffes." That's not Broder's fault -- columnists don't get to write their own headlines -- but it's part of a larger trend in which the media treats politicians who accidentally state their actual beliefs as if they've just committed an awkwardly worded blunder.

Rand Paul opposes the Civil Rights Act? A rookie "gaffe." Sharron Angle is speculating about the armed overthrow of the United States government. "Gaffe." Joe Barton is apologizing to BP? "Gaffe."

This is a misguided way to help politicians out of a jam. As Jon Chait noted the other day, the radicalism of today's Republican Party is covered poorly by many outlets, "in part because [the media] insists upon viewing this new brand of radicalism through the lens of a 'gaffe' ... rather than explaining it in ideological terms."

Slave Sargent:
""They see the aggrieved party here as BP, not the fishermen," Rahm tells ABC News. "What Joe Barton did was remind the American people, in case they forgot, how the Republicans would govern.""

Yes, quite. Govern by rule of law, not by mob rule, and have the compensation fund set up by a Federal court, as it SHOULD be done.

Feh...Rahm's just upset that he no longer lives rent-free in a condo owned by Stanley Greenberg, the flack behind the "Beyond Petroleum" ad campaign.

Hey, meme-master, ole Uncle Rahm calls you moonbats "effin retards", but rather than ban him, you quote him approvingly...

GO Team Re-tard!

"Jonathan Alter says the Gulf spill was a "failure of not just technology but ideology," and says Obama has an opportunity to reinvigorate the progressive tradition by arguing that It's The Deregulation, Stupid."

This is a misguided way to help politicians out of a jam. As Jon Chait noted the other day, the radicalism of today's Republican Party is covered poorly by many outlets, "in part because [the media] insists upon viewing this new brand of radicalism through the lens of a 'gaffe' ... rather than explaining it in ideological terms."

Where were you, when I was fighting to keep Bilgey from being banned, and said that he could call me any name he wished to?

He is the one who asked Greg to just tell him to go away. When he stopped fighting for his rights to speak his mind, as he wished, he lost me. I do not want him banned. He keeps pleading to Greg, asking to be banned.

I have no desire to ban Bilgey, but I also have no desire to try and prevent him from requesting that he be banned.

As far as I am concerned, those who are bothered by being called: "slave" by Bilgey, would be better of to do what many of them did, when Right Wingers tried to use the name Hussein, against then; Senator Barak Hussein Obama.

Lots of commentators just added Hussein to their posting names. I think that is the better way to handle the situation, rather than calling for someone to be banned.

I am not sure why Bilgey feels the need to keep calling Greg; "Slave". The man has never said a harsh word to Bilgey, or even debated him directly.

I still think the best thing for people to do is let Bilgey rave on. However; if he keeps asking Greg to just ask him to go away, then I am all for letting Bilgey have what he asks for.

Liam-slave-still:
"He is the one who asked Greg to just tell him to go away. When he stopped fighting for his rights to speak his mind, as he wished, he lost me."

Don't mischaracterize.
I pointed out to the meme-master that it's his blaaahg, and he can ban whomever he wishes. I also flatly refused to allow him, or anyone else, to set any preconditions on my discourse.As you should flatly refuse any preconditions on yours,(but these are your fellow herd-members, so it's unlikely that they will call for your banning, unless you go too far out of the barnyard and "Tena" yourself).

Now meme-master came back to one of his critters with an "I can't do anything until Monday" reply, and I offered to make it easy for him and, at his request, go away and not come back, (an offer that he has not taken advantage of yet).

"I am not sure why Bilgey feels the need to keep calling Greg; "Slave". The man has never said a harsh word to Bilgey, or even debated him directly."

Slave Sargent, as you know very well, was a very big cheerleader in getting the Socialist Utopia ObamaCare legislation passed, which, as i've 'splained here before repeatedly, puts us all into a state of bondage to the Federal government.

I'm just giving credit where credit is due. I don't see why Sargent, or any of the rest of you moonbat partisans , should now eschew your accomplishment so.
The Federal Obamacare plastic livestock tags stapled through your earlobes look very fetching...you should all wear them with pride.

http://ppjg.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/rfid_ear_tag_animals.jpg

Instead, a large portion of the Slum Line moonbat herd reacts thusly:

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/avl/pics/lotr/ttt/smeagol.jpg

Well...there's the mentality of the people you're sharing this Sweat Lodge with.
Enjoy their company.

Slave Sargent:
"If you can share your views, and challenge those of others, without any "slave" BS"

It IS slavery, and it isn't BS.
Don't get the idea that I harbor any consideration for you or your Sweat Lodge's feelings when you were busy stampeding your herd to put every single American into Bondage to the government that is supposed to be our SERVANT, not our MASTER.

I don't really care that you think you meant well either. Poll after poll, as the debate progressed, indicated exactly what I told you: The American People DID NOT WANT, but you and the herd were in mob form, and cheerleaded the Congress and the Alleged Hawaiian ramming it down all of our throats anyway.

Well, buster, y'all got what you think you wanted, and now y'all are going to get what comes BEHIND it.

And it's obvious that y'all don't much care for it.

Getting correctly and appropriately called a "slave" is the very LEAST of what you and your herd will be objecting to.

"bombast" from the beloved Ety (http://www.etymonline.com/): From stuffing and padding for clothes or upholstery, meaning extended to "pompous, empty speech" (1580s).

or as the beloved oed would have it: "1616 Pasquil & Kath. IV. 316, I doe hate these bumbaste wits, That are puft vp with arrogant conceit." Be less puft up perhaps?

"bilge" from Ety: 1510s, "lowest internal part of a ship," also "the foulness which collects there," "The foulness which collects there" -- is that lovelylovely or what? (There are languages in which notions are superlatived by doubling. Joyjoy -- or, I suppose, on the other hand, bilgebilge, say. 3ha.)

""I was stunned, I really was, that America is so mad at the government," said Chesney, who no longer works for the census. "People don't know what it's like out there. It's scary and dangerous, and it's not worth my life." "

It isn't the Bilge's personal attacks and juvenile naming, the problem is that he's a crashing bore, never anything intelligent or insightful to say, just throwing crapballs against the wall. Then people start responding and the thread degenerates into trash. That's what drives people away.

Greg isn't obligated to host a space for Bilge and Liam to hijack every thread. The "free speech" argument is preposterous and the "thin-skinned" accusation is pretty stupid too. Either you want to host thoughtful, intelligent comment, or alternatively you want to be bullied into keeping a thread for the two of them to wank off, at the expense of people who come here to talk politics.

Holding televised hearings, after this huge environmental disaster, with oil execs asked tough questions by citizens' representatives is exactly like Stalinist show trials. Or exactly like Inca ritual sacrifice. Or exactly like the persecution of some innocent and undeserving community, say, the Jews... http://www.strangerthanfiction.org/2010/06/18/conservative-media-bp-was-persecuted-at-stalinist-witch-trial-hearing/

"...[liberalism is guilty of] the worship of presidential power: the belief that any problem, any crisis, can be swiftly solved by a strong government, and particularly a strong executive." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/opinion/21douthat-1.html?hp

We've seen ScottC toss this one out regularly as well. Of course, nobody actually thinks or argues this.

But take a look at the prior administration, it's explicit zest for a powerful executive run out of Cheney's office and it's presumption (or claim) that anti-American sentiment leading to terrorism could actually be "swiftly solved by a strong government".